King Princess’ second album HOLD ON, BABY closes with the ’90s-inspired song “Let Us Die” – a four-minute track featuring some of the late Taylor Hawkins’ final drumming performances.
Singer King Princess, whose real name is Mikaela Straus, said in an interview with Glamor that working with Hawkins was “a big moment” for her as a musician and as a person. She further explained: “[Taylor] was so nice, so wonderful. I have with Mark [Ronson] and Ethan Greska and Taylor worked on this song. It ended up being one of my favorite songs.”
Princess also said it was Ronson’s idea to have Hawkins involved in the track. He is said to have sent the song to Hawkins and he was immediately enthusiastic and said: “Yes, I love the track”. The singer continued, “I was sitting in the bedroom that I grew up in and he was in LA and we were broadcasting the studio from the console and I was just listening to him make my track a million times better. “
A tribute to Taylor Hawkins
HOLD ON, BABY was released on July 29th. The music video for the song “Let Us Die,” which features a tribute to Hawkins, was also uploaded the same day. The clip ends with the caption: “In loving memory of Taylor Hawkins. Rock n roll lives forever”.
With this homage, King Princess wanted to make the drummer “immortal”. She explains, “I really want to play this track and see people fall in love with his drumming because he’s a rock god. Playing the drums is beyond words – it’s an emotion and I felt that when I heard it on my track. I started crying when I heard him play this track. I just want to do him justice and play this song live and rock out.”
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, the singer also said that she sent a “very respectful” message to Hawkins’ team asking for release approval. Princess explains, “They came back and said, ‘As long as he wanted to be there, that sounds great.’ And they were just so nice. I can’t even imagine that I got a message like this during this time. I was just so scared and sad and nervous just asking someone like that. But they felt it was a tribute. And it’s a tribute. It’s for Taylor.”